New and expanding industry training provided by community colleges almost doubled
State Board welcomes new president
RALEIGH – "Almost a hundred percent increase."
That's how Dr. Larry Keen, Vice President for Economic and Workforce Development for the NC Community College System, described the tremendous growth in New and Expanding Industry Training (NEIT) in the past 12 months.
Dr. Keen reported to the State Board of Community Colleges on the NEIT program and on the first year of a new training program, Customized Industry Training.
"New and expanding industry training is the cornerstone of our support for North Carolina's industrial recruitment and economic development," according to H. Martin Lancaster, President of the North Carolina Community College System. "It's one of the main reasons that our state consistently ranks at or near the top in national workforce ranking. This month, Expansion Management magazine puts us at number four."
Between July 2005 and June 2006, North Carolina's community colleges trained 23,799 workers through NEIT, compared to 12,398 last year and 10,117 the year before. Projects served 197 companies, including 92 new companies and 105 expanding ones. Last year, NEIT served 164 companies.
"A very important fact is that more than two-thirds of the companies and almost 60 percent of the trainees this past year were in rural areas," said Dr. Keen. "Community colleges work very hard to make sure good economic news touches every part of North Carolina."
The NEIT program covers employers who bring at least 12 new jobs into the state or grow their existing workforce by that number. Customized Industry Training (CIT), funded by the General Assembly in 2005, provides training for selected employers who do not meet those standards but need training to boost skills, retain jobs and otherwise improve productivity. In its first year, CIT committed more than $1 million to 12 projects training 297 people.
The Board approved the Annual Reports on New and Expanding Industry Training and on Customized Industry Training for presentation to the General Assembly.
The Board also welcomed Dr. Garrett Hinshaw, the third person to serve as president at Catawba Valley Community College (Hickory). Hinshaw’s community college connection began at an early age with parents who were faculty at Surry Community College. At 39, he is the youngest person to serve as a president in the System. He thanked the Board for approving his selection and he thanked his mentor and former boss, Dr. Ken Boham, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute president, for his leadership. Garrett was executive vice president and chief operating officer at the college.
The Board recognized Susan Seymour with a standing ovation for her “extraordinary” service as NC Community College BioNetwork Director. Susan is retiring at the end of August.
In other action the Board:
- Approved the allocation of State Board Reserve Funds to three colleges that will host the new Community College Financial Institute. Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, Coastal Carolina Community College, and Guilford Technical Community College will each receive $14,500 to provide on-going, standardized training for the business office staff throughout the NC Community College System. The Institute is in part a response to a recommendation from the State Auditor.
- Approved the funding for two colleges to serve as Centers for the Virtual Learning Community. Fayetteville Technical Community College will receive $250,000 develop several online courses and to recommend software to be used in future course development. Surry Community College will also receive $250,000 to edit approximately 48 courses and convert approximately 140 existing VLC courses to the most current version of Blackboard, the online course management system.
- Approved Lateral Entry certificate programs at Roanoke-Chowan and Rockingham Community Colleges. Lateral Entry offers individuals with baccalaureate degrees who have an interest in teaching to take courses that will lead to their licensure as public school teachers.
The Board also received an interim report from the committee that was appointed to establish the process to distribute the $15 million in special facilities funds appropriated by the General Assembly. Finance and Capital Needs Committee Chair Herb Watkins, who is also chair of the committee establishing the competitive grant process, presented the report. The proposed guidelines can be accessed on the NCCCS Website at: http://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/Facility_Services/new_page_1.htm
The process is expected to be completed in November with the awarding of grants of no more than $1 million each to the selected colleges.
State Board Chair Hilda Pinnix-Ragland then appointed Board member Dr. Stuart Fountain to a committee that will determine the process for awarding $5 million appropriated by the General Assembly for Allied Health programs.
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